Bottle stoppers



ScH v BOTTLE STOPPERS Filed Aug 9 1954 I vENTo A K3 B0505 BY I TORN 5 United States Patent BOTTLE STOPPERS Frank B. Busch, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application August 9, 1954, Serial No. 448,471

3 Claims. (Cl. 215-54) The present invention relates to improvements in bottle stoppers and more particularly is a novel and effective means for locking the so-called shell cork or sleevelike sealing member upon the stem portion of such stoppers.

In accordance with generally accepted practice shell corks or sealing sleeves, ordinarily are secured to the stem portions of glass stoppers by means of an adhesive. A serious objection to such procedure is that the adhesive cannot withstand the attack of alcohol for example, and frequently loses its effectiveness to the point that the sealing element separates from the stem portion and drops into the container.

An object of my invention is the provision of simple effective means for mechanically locking the sealing element in place and in so doing, utilize a material which is inert and will not affect the packaged product.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a resilient retaining collar which is attachable to the stem portion of a glass stopper to secure the sealing sleeve to the stem, such collar being so attached to the stem that it can be adjusted readily to insure snug engagement with the sealing element.

A further object of my invention is the provision in a device of the above character, of a retaining collar holding means consisting essentially of mating screw threads and including an abutment or stop on the stem portion of the stopper which functions to effectively resist removal of the retaining collar.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a retaining collar formed of polyethylene or a material having like characteristics for securing a shell cork in position on the stem of a glass stopper, and incorporating in the stem and collar, locking or holding means which permits ready application of the collar either by a straight axial telescoping of the collar over the stem, or by threading the collar thereupon.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional elevational view on an enlarged scale, illustrating the application of my invention to a glass stopper;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of my invention with the shell cork shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the shell cork retaining collar; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention it is incorporated in a glass stopper comprising a hollow head and a hollow downwardly tapered stem 11 over which a shell cork 12 or sleeve-like sealing member is telescoped to fill the space between said stem and the neck 13 of a bottle B, or like container. The shell cork,

0 at its upper end, abuts the lower side of the head 10 and 7 thereby is limited as to its upward telescoping movement.

2,822,104 U-Patented Feb. I 4, 1958 Positive retention of the shell cork 12 against any serious degree of displacement, is obtained through the use of a retaining collar 14 which preferably is formed .have its exterior surface 15 tapered inwardly and downwardly to facilitate insertion of the stopper into the opening of the bottle neck 13. Such shaping also contributes to the saving of the volume of material used.

Internally this retaining collar may well beprovided with a single-turn screw thread 16 which is intended for holding engagement with a screw thread 17 or an equivalent projection provided on the diametrically reduced end portion 18 or extension of said stem 11. This reduced end portion 18 terminates at its upper end in a radial annular shoulder 19 (Fig. 1) which may well lie flush with the lower end of the shell cork 12. In the illustrated embodiment of the thread 17, it is so formed in cross section that the upper surface 20 which is designed for holding engagement with the thread 16 of the retaining collar 14, is relatively flat while the other surface 21 slopes gradually from the base of the thread to its crest, the latter being the outermost edge of the upper surface 20. Thus, the surface 21 provides a guiding means over which the thread 16 of the resilient collar 14 may slide quite freely and then assume an effective holding position in contact with the relatively fiat upper surface 20 of the crew thread 17. It is therefore apparent that in applying the retaining collar, it may be telescoped axially over the reduced stem portion 18 without any rotary motion whatsoever or, if desired, may be threaded thereon in a conventional fashion. Preferably, the screw thread 17 is a lefthand thread, although it may well be the conventional righthand thread. It is also obvious that the threads, instead of being continuous, as shown, may be interrupted or discontinuous, as is often the case.

For the purpose of effectively resisting unscrewing of the retaining collar 14 from the stem of the stopper, I have provided a stop 22 or abutment (Fig. 4) which connects the lower runout portion of the screw thread 17, and the intermediate portion of the thread immediately thereabove. This abutment provides a very sharp stop extending more or less radially outward from the reduced stem portion 18, the outer margin of said stop being connected by a sloping surface 23 extending generally circumferentially of said stem portion 18 as best shown in Fig. 4.

The lower end 24 of the screw thread 16 on the retaining collar 14, normally is in firm engagement with this stop 22 or abutment, when said collar is in position to securely hold the shell cork in its fully assembled position on the stopper. As is readily apparent, the retaining collar 14 may be rotated counterclockwise on the reduced portion 18in the event this is necessary to properly hold the shell cork against the lower side of the stopper head 10. In such event it is also apparent that the stop, or abutment 22, will be spaced circumferentially from the end 24 of the thread 16 and under such circumstances, the inherent frictional engagement between the threads 16 and 17 and between the collar itself and the shell cork, will be relied upon to prevent independent rotation of said collar. Obviously, should this fail to prevent independent rotation of the collar, the end 24 of the thread 16' will again contact the abutment or stop 22 and at that point, very effectively hold the collar against displacement.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A composite bottle stopper comprising a head, a

stem portion depending from said head, a sleeve-like seal- 7 gaging thread-like projections on the stem portion and collar for securing the latter in position to hold the sealing member against the stopper head, and locking means incorporated in the thread-like projections on the stem portion to secure the retaining collar against accidental displacement, the projections on the collar being resilient.

2. A composite bottle stopper comprising a head, a stem portion depending from said head and tapering downwardly, a shell cork sealing member telescoped over said stem, an axial diametrically reduced screw threaded extension at the lower end of the stem portion, a resilient retaining collar threaded upon said extension and bearing against the adjacent end of the sealing member, and

means formed on said extension to limit possible rotation 4 of the retaining, collar in one direction, the last named means being an abutment lying between adjacent portions of the screw thread on said extension.

3. The structure defined in claim 2, wherein the retaining collar has its exterior surface at least in part tapered downwardly and inwardly to provide a guiding surface facilitating insertion of the stern into a bottle neck.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 248,975 Wooten Nov, i, 1881 2,072,802 Kraft Mar. 2, 1937 2,355,492 White Aug. 8, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,443 Great Britain of 1862 2,816 Great Britain of 1909 1,062,703 France Dec. 9, i953 

